Distractions
I think one of the inherent traits of a project manager is that we’re doers. We love to check things off our to-do list. We like order and efficiency. We like task lists. And we like getting things done.
Ironically, all those tasks and to-do’s can get us wildly off track when it comes to project work. Why? Because many times those tasks aren’t related to the project.
One of the primary killers of project management productivity is distractions. All those little things that you just have to get done before you can start on the WBS or put the final touches on that budget.
I fall into these traps as both a project manager and a writer. Distractions keep me from focusing on the “real work” and trick me into believing I’m being productive. After all, I blasted through fourteen emails, put out two employee cat fights, and got that report into my manager’s hand all within the space of three hours. It isn’t wrong to work on these things but the question I should be asking myself is, “What is the real priority?”
In the space of those three hours I could have had the project budget finalized. I could have finished building a good chunk of the project schedule in MS Project or knocked out the risk management plan. Granted, in this case one of the cat fights needed extinguished right away. But the emails and the report could have waited.
I don’t know why I convince myself that I’ll feel much better after I answer the emails (or do the countless other mundane tasks that have nothing to do with the project). I usually do it by telling myself, “Get these other things done and then you’ll have the time to get to that budget.” In fact I’ve used the very time I had available to work on the budget on unrelated issues.
I’m tired of the self-sabotage so I’ve made a deal with myself. Before undertaking any new task I will quickly question whether this task absolutely has to be completed now. I will also ask if it furthers the work of the project. If it doesn’t, and there isn’t another pressing reason to complete the task (like the building is on fire) I will add it to my to-do list. Here’s the key that seals the deal for me. I schedule time during the day to work on this to-do list so I don’t feel like all the little things are piling up. That way, I can focus on the project priorities first and the distractions get their own special attention and their own allotted time slot.